Bob Hayes

Palm Beach County School Board member Bob Hayes will be the featured speaker at today's monthly meeting of COBWRA, the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations. Hayes, a COBWRA member, will discuss new school construction and other issues facing the school district. COBWRA also will install new officers. Eugene Sokoloff will serve a second one-year term as president. Dagmar Brahs and Julius Schiller will be vice presidents. The secretary-treasurer position has not yet been filled.

The Steelers' Hines Ward would love to see if Usain Bolt could make it as an NFL wide receiver. After Bolt ran a world record-setting 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash in Berlin, Ward began wondering what kind of downfield threat he would be. "In this game, you have to have great hips and great footwork to get in and out of routes. You can take a fast guy like a Bolt, he might be able to run only one way," Ward said. "He has to stop and turn. For me, I'll take a guy with quickness and great route-running ability over speed.

Bob Kuechenberg was denied again today, not even making it to the final cut of 10. So, if the former Dolphins guard gets in, it will have to be through the old-timers' door. Cris Carter was denied also, which I would have said was a surprise until I got up here. The inductees: Bruce Smith Rod Woodson Randall McDaniel Derrick Thomas Ralph Wilson Bob Hayes Smith's speech, about his mother and father, was touching, as was the note read by Hayes's sister. He left it with her before he died.

By Chris Perkins and Alex Marvez Staff Writers and Sun-Sentinel.com editor Keven Lerner contributed to this report, September 20, 2002

Defensive end Jason Taylor returned to practice Thursday, but cornerback Patrick Surtain, linebacker Twan Russell and safety Scott McGarrahan missed practice again. Taylor missed Wednesday's practice with a stiff neck but said he should be fine for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. "It's a lot better," said Taylor, who saw a chiropractor Wednesday. "I can move it. [Wednesday] it was pretty tight and hurting, but I feel a lot better. I'll be fine on Sunday." Surtain bruised his left knee when he hit it on the artificial turf at the RCA Dome last week after a second-quarter interception.

The Steelers' Hines Ward would love to see if Usain Bolt could make it as an NFL wide receiver. After Bolt ran a world record-setting 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash in Berlin, Ward began wondering what kind of downfield threat he would be. "In this game, you have to have great hips and great footwork to get in and out of routes. You can take a fast guy like a Bolt, he might be able to run only one way," Ward said. "He has to stop and turn. For me, I'll take a guy with quickness and great route-running ability over speed.

The Palm Beach County School Board approved a new teachers' contract Wednesday. Now they want more information about how the district will pay for it. The contract gives teachers average 2.65 percent raises, in addition to the 2.5 percent teachers get automatically for another year of experience. Before the district and union reached this agreement, the district offered 1.65 percent raises, plus a one-time, 1 percent bonus. Staff members said that was all the district could afford. It will cost the board an extra 7 million each year now that the 1 percent has been rolled into the raise.

Bob Kuechenberg was denied again today, not even making it to the final cut of 10. So, if the former Dolphins guard gets in, it will have to be through the old-timers' door. Cris Carter was denied also, which I would have said was a surprise until I got up here. The inductees: Bruce Smith Rod Woodson Randall McDaniel Derrick Thomas Ralph Wilson Bob Hayes Smith's speech, about his mother and father, was touching, as was the note read by Hayes's sister. He left it with her before he died.

The School Board on Wednesday approved spending $40,000 to fix two bathrooms at Atlantic High School, but the money was a pittance of the millions of dollars school advocates say are needed. The two bathrooms are among the worst at the school, but there are 18 other bathrooms that need renovation, along with the school cafeteria, gymnasium and weight room, supporters said. About 80 of the supporters - including Delray Beach Mayor Tom Lynch - showed up at the board meeting wearing green Atlantic High Eagle T-shirts.

By Chris Perkins and Alex Marvez Staff Writers and Sun-Sentinel.com editor Keven Lerner contributed to this report, September 20, 2002

Defensive end Jason Taylor returned to practice Thursday, but cornerback Patrick Surtain, linebacker Twan Russell and safety Scott McGarrahan missed practice again. Taylor missed Wednesday's practice with a stiff neck but said he should be fine for Sunday's game against the New York Jets. "It's a lot better," said Taylor, who saw a chiropractor Wednesday. "I can move it. [Wednesday] it was pretty tight and hurting, but I feel a lot better. I'll be fine on Sunday." Surtain bruised his left knee when he hit it on the artificial turf at the RCA Dome last week after a second-quarter interception.

The World's Fastest Human is in a wheelchair on this day, his legs weakened by radiation, his mind clouded by painkillers, his body beaten by years and years of running too many races in too many fast lanes. Bob Hayes always had been able to outrun his pursuers, but life finally has caught up with him. Too many years, too many beers. Mick Jagger was right: What a drag it is growing old. "Can't even outrun a sports writer now," Hayes, 58, says laughing and coughing and wincing. "They used to call me Bullet Bob. Now I'm Blimpo Bob."

The Palm Beach County School Board approved a new teachers' contract Wednesday. Now they want more information about how the district will pay for it. The contract gives teachers average 2.65 percent raises, in addition to the 2.5 percent teachers get automatically for another year of experience. Before the district and union reached this agreement, the district offered 1.65 percent raises, plus a one-time, 1 percent bonus. Staff members said that was all the district could afford. It will cost the board an extra 7 million each year now that the 1 percent has been rolled into the raise.

Former Delray Beach Mayor Tom Lynch said he does not have any political ambitions. That's why he has decided to run for the Palm Beach County School Board. "It's a no-win, politically," Lynch said on Thursday. "As much as you try to do something right . . . you're going to be dealing with people's emotions. Not everyone will be happy." Lynch said he wants children to get the best education possible. "It's not something I think is going to be an easy task," Lynch said. "It's definitely the biggest issue facing the county."

Bob Hayes has decided not to seek a second four-year term on the Palm Beach County School Board, and that is not welcome news either for Superintendent Joan Kowal or for proponents of building new schools without contributing to urban sprawl. Hayes announced in January that he will leave the board this fall to devote more time to his family and his Delray Beach printing business. His decision has touched off a flurry of activity by prospective candidates for the District 5 seat, which runs from Yamato Road in Boca Raton to Lantana Road and from Interstate 95 to Florida's Turnpike.

Bob Hayes, who started Bob`s Quick Printing & Copy Center in Delray Beach in 1974, was named Small Business Person of the Year last week by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce. During the past 17 years, Hayes has seen his business evolve from a one-man operation with sales of $32,000 in 1974, to an eight-person operation with 1990 sales in excess of $500,000, he said. Bob`s Quick Printing offers a full line of printing services, including business cards, stationery, forms and newsletters.

Financier Victor Posner donated $614,000 on Monday to the National Coalition for the Homeless, money set aside from sales of Royal Crown Cola and Diet Rite sodas early this year. In a rare news conference at his Miami Beach headquarters, Posner gave a 2-foot by 4-foot cardbord check to coalition founder Bob Hayes. Posner was ordered to help homeless people after pleading guilty to tax evasion in a Mi- ami federal court last year. Hayes said corporations need to be more active in helping the nation`s 3 million homeless people.

Bob Hayes, a low-key member of the Palm Beach County School Board, said on Wednesday he will not be seeking a second four-year term this September, surprising some and heightening the chance of a multi-candidate race. Among those considering running for his seat are former Delray Beach Mayor Tom Lynch, Rosalind Murray, a citizen activist who narrowly lost a School Board bid in 1996, and Robert Reardon, a former manager of IBM software development. Hayes said his decision followed a "tremendous amount of soul-searching."

His former partner got arrested for witness tampering. He tapped his personal bank account for about $500,000, only to lose badly in a second bid for state attorney. And the chairman of his ill-fated campaign, the controversial Ted Brabham, has split town. Could Republican Phil Butler be brushing up on Happy Trails? "I'm clearly looking at that prospect," Butler says. But the West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney insists that a potential move from Palm Beach County is not election-related, but rather a reflection on his changing career and a yearning to return to his Southern roots.